Stretch, hike, swim, breathe, relax, and explore in the jungle of Costa Rica for a week!

The Sanctuary at Two Rivers on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is a unique, eco-conscious yoga retreat center completely solar powered and off the grid. Located a short hike from a secluded waterfall and swimming hole at the intersection of two rivers, and a longer river walk to the ocean, The Sanctuary provides the perfect blend of modern luxury and natural essence, allowing you to connect to nature in a comfortable way.

If a week of yoga, mindfulness, hiking, organic food, luxury tree houses, and enjoying a close connection with new friends sounds like your kind of vacation, keep reading…

Two teachers in a small group setting means personalized attention and instruction. The intention for the retreat is not only for you to relax and have fun in Costa Rica, but also to offer tools and practices to take home with you and integrate into daily life. Yoga classes will be taught in the outdoor yoga pagoda to the backdrop of the jungle. Class styles will be a mixture of Vinyasa flow, mellow hatha, restorative, and alignment-based, workshop-style practices to help you fine-tune and take your practice to the next level.

Daily mindfulness classes are great for beginners interested in learning how to meditate, but will offer plenty of opportunity to dive deeper into your meditation practice if you already have a practice. This retreat will encourage you to step away from everyday life and relax, renew, and reconnect with yourself at a deep level.

Lena Schmidt: I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area doing gymnastics and modern and jazz dance. I came to San Diego in 2002 for my undergrad studies at UC San Diego, where I completed my BA in Ethnic Studies, and danced a lot of modern dance, and haven't left! After college I found the physicality of yoga to be a delightful and challenging way to move the body without competition. I continued in graduate school at San Diego State University, where I completed my MA in Women's Studies and began a teaching credential program. I spent a few years teaching dance to children and serving as a member of AmeriCorps, before deciding to deepen my yoga practice. I have a 200-hour yoga teaching certification and an 85-hour prenatal certification. I have been teaching since January 2012. I completed the Prison Yoga Project training and use what I learned to teach trauma-informed classes in the community. I'm currently working towards my 300-hour certification (2/3 there!) with Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in New York. The spiritual aspects of yoga have aided me in the never-ending search for peace, calm and positivity within, and I'm passionate about sharing these tools with others. I'm intentional about taking yoga off the mat and I love finding the bridges between the heart and mind, the individual and community, and mindfulness and expression. To complement the creative practice of yoga, I love walking with my dog, baking, hiking, playing frisbee, and doing arts and crafts. I teach children’s yoga, volunteer teach yoga for underserved youth afterschool, and volunteer teach for adult students who are refugees. I offer a hatha/vinyasa class that includes strong asana, pranayama and a philosophical theme woven throughout. I'm also a TA for the Dimensions of Culture Program at UCSD and a regular contributing writer for the Chopra Center. Looking forward to playing yoga with you!

Robin Galaif: The decision to become a yoga instructor emerged from a lifetime of passions. Growing up, gymnastics was my whole world, so finding yoga after college was a natural transition. The physical practice kept my muscles and joints flexible and strong, while the flow offered me the opportunity for the graceful expression I found in gymnastics. After graduate school, I began a career in education, teaching students with special needs for 25 years, then moving into management of special education programs in 2013. During my last eight years in the classroom, I taught weekly yoga lessons to all of the primary students at my school, creating opportunities for children in general and special education classrooms to come together and experience the benefits of yoga. Observing the powerful physiological and cognitive impact yoga had on all of the students was truly inspiring, so I decided it was time to pool all of my experiences and become a certified yoga instructor. In 2017, I completed my 200-hour certification at Happy-U Yoga in Ocean Beach, and have been teaching group and private classes out of my home studio, Buddha’s Garden Yoga, ever since. Over the years, I’ve found yoga to be so much more than a physical practice alone. It has helped me stay spiritually centered, while cultivating balance, harmony and peace in my everyday life. Belonging to the yoga community fills me with gratitude, positivity, and reminds me that my attitude and approach to life can actually have a positive impact on the community and beyond. Showing up with good vibes, a kind heart, and a smile wherever I go, can send joyous reverberations into the universe. I enjoy travel, nature, and concert-going with my husband. Being the lucky mother of two amazing sons, serving children and families with special needs, and spreading my love of yoga, makes my life very full. What more could I ask for than to join my dear friend Lena in leading a yoga retreat in beautiful Costa Rica?!